Spindle for spools of thread



(NoMod eL) s. B. PRATT. SPINDLE FOR sPooLs 0F THREAD.

' Patented Feb. 19. 1889.

UNITE STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

SAMUEL BARKER PRATT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPINDLE FOR SPOOLS OF THREAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,000, dated February 19, 1889. Application filed November 1'7 1888. Serial No. 291,175. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL BARKER PRATT, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Spindle for Spools of Thread, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is intended to be applied to spools of thread which are provided with unwinding attachments, in operating which, when it is desired to remove a piece of thread, the spool is laid in the hand with the end of the thread extending between two upturned fingers thereof, and the thread is then pulled by the other hand. Care must be taken to so lay the spool in the hand that as the thread is pulled the spool will rotate toward the palm of the hand, otherwise the spool will be likely to jump out of the hand.

My improvement is intended to obviate the necessity of laying the spool in the hand and to enable it to be held by and between the thumb and finger without touching either, thereby facilitating the rotation of the spool and the removal of the thread when an unwinding attachment is employed.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 represent a spool provided with an unwinding attachment and with my improved spindle with the thread being removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a spool provided with the said spindle. Fig. 3 is a view of my improved spindle removed. Fig. 4 is a longi-. tudinal section of a spool provided with an unwinding attachment and with my spindle in-thc act of being inserted into the bore. I

A represents a spool, 13 an unwinding attachment applied thereto, and C the thread.

D is a spindle, made of wood, metal, or other i l l l l material, preferably round, and provided with two disks, flanges, orend pieces, E. These disks are secured to the opposite ends of the spindle in any desired manner, as by gluing, tacking, &c., and one or both are made of flexible material, so that the spindle may be inserted in the hole in the spool, as shown, as the end pieces (which are not necessarily circular in form) must be a little larger in diameter than the hole, so that the spindle will not drop out. If desired, one disk may be of rigid material and the other of flexible material.

By placing the thumb and finger 011 the opposite disks E,as shown in Fig. 1,the unwinding device may be readily operated by pulling' the thread with the other hand with a minimum of friction and without danger of the spool jumping from the handin fact, without paying any attention to the spool.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with a spool of thread and an unwinding attachment, the spindle D, placed in the spool-hole and extendingthrough the same, and the end pieces, .E E, larger in 65 diameter than said spool-hole, rigidly secured to the ends of the spindle, substantially of disk shape, whereby they are adapted to be held between the thumb and finger of one hand, as shown, and one of said disk-shaped end pieces being flexible, whereby it will fold upon itself sufficiently to be drawn through the spool-hole, all constructed substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

SAMUEL BARKER PRATT.

Witnesses:

O. GUMAN, JNo. BAIRD. 

